Eco-friendly wedding rings

Proposing marriage is a serious commitment that is not made without careful thought. Think just as carefully about what type of ring you will buy for the woman you are about to ask to spend the rest of your life with. The proposal can be done elegantly and simply, by choosing an eco-friendly ring.

Buying the perfect ring can be intimidating. Where do you shop? How do you know she will like the ring? Keeping in mind that there are literally hundreds of jewelry stores in the Hartford area, try to narrow your shopping down to a minimum; (do you homework, ask friends where they have shopped) avoid large chain stores at the mall. Eco-friendly jewelry is the hottest trend in wedding rings. If you are buying new, make sure your jeweler sells jewels that originate from ethical and environmentally responsible sources. Ask if the diamonds they source go through the Kimberley Process (KP).

According to Jeff, of Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers, by buying antique jewelry you can get “more bang for the buck”. With the rise in the price of gold, more then ever, people are looking at sustainable, conflict-free diamonds and platinum. Buying estate jewelry is an option that many people choose. However, keep in mind that although you are “recycling”, you don’t know where that ring came from. There are obvious pluses and minus to both options. Keep it local. Shopping locally or buying from an antique jeweler is one of the greenest ways to purchase your ring. According to Great Green weddings, the production of one simple gold ring results in 20 tons of mine waste. There are many jewelers in Hartford that sell estate jewelry (below you will find links). However, if you are dead set on designing or picking a new ring, be sure to consider a few facts. Think about platinum over gold, or ask if they use recycled gold. Make sure that the diamonds have been bought from a socially responsible, conflict free source. Precious metals can be reclaimed and then refined to produce gold and platinum of identical quality to newly mined metals. By using renewed metals, you will directly be participating in a gentler way of buying jewelry, and single-handedly reduce the need for additional "dirty" mining.

Kate Uhry is a professional wedding, lifestyle and children's photographer. She has worked as a freelance photojournalist and as a wedding photographer for 20 years. Her photographs have been published in The New York Times, The Economist, Southern Jewish Living, The Litchfield County Times and many more. Kate grew up on the upper west side of Manhattan and now lives in Litchfield County, CT. You can contact Kate and view her website and blog at www.kateuhryphoto.com or e-mail kate@kateuhryphoto.com.